Improvement in seed-drills



J. W. KIRK.

Seed-Dropper.

Patented July 20, 1858 No 20, 9464v mw N5 m WNNNU, H w IIIUNIL Y VHN;ANU www K E@ NJHETERS, PHoIO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON D. L

y PATENT JACOB YV. KIRK, OF RISING SUN, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEED-DRILLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 20,946. dated July 20,1858.

To all whom 'it may concer/t:

Be it known that I, J. \V. KIRK, of Rising Sun, in the county of Ueciland State of Maryland, have invented a newand usef'ul Improvement inSeed-Drills; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which-Figure l is a plan-0r top view of a seed-drill hopper with myimprovements applied to it. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of the same. Fig. 4 isa detached view of the distributing-slide. Figs. 5, 5 are detachedviews'of stop-plates for controlling the movements of the slide.

Similar letters of reference in each of the `several gures indicatecorresponding parts.

I am aware that in D. O. Daniels, Jacob Kerns, and Friederick Moehlmannsseeddrills two passages are shown in the bottom of the hopper and in theslide; but the passages in the hopper are never used together for sowingone kind ot' grain, they being divided by a partition, and designed onefor sowing wheat and the other oats; and in order to accomplish this thewheat-passage is made of a greater depth than the oat-passage, and thusit wi 1l be evident that the two passages will not answer for plantingat the same time one kind of grain, the oat-passage being too shallowfor wheat and the wheat-passage too deep for oats, or so deep that a toofree discharge will take place.

My invention is not adapted for sowing two kinds of grain, butisintended for discharging but one kind of grain through two passages atthe same time at every point of discharge in the bottom of the hopper.

The nature of my invention consists in a seedhopper which has at eachpoint of discharge two passages arranged alongside and one a little inadvance of the other, and both used at the same time,in combination witha seed-slide which has two passages similarly arranged and of equaldepth with each other, ordinary stop-pins and a guard-plate being usedin connection with the above,as presently described. By this particulararrangement of duplicate discharge-passages in the bottom of the hopperand in the slide the grain is pushed in different directions. Hence itdoes not interfere the one stream with the other, and it is not soliable to choke; that after the grain is discharged by the slide thedistance is greater before it is deposited. Hence it is more intimatelymixed, the stream is more steady and constant, and not liable to ljetsfrom the sudden discharge of the slide, and hence does not bunch thewheat or grain in rows near so much as Hunts, Moores, Pennocks, Woods,and Hainess drills. Byemploying a slide with two passages at each pointof discharge and usingonly one passage at a time-as in Kerns, Daniels,and Moehlmanns drills-the advantage of the duplicate passages is lost,andthe choking is just as likely to happen as with the slide which hasbut one passage at said point, and the buuching also will beexperienced, and, in fact, no advantage is gained over the common slide,except so far as the capability of planting either oats or wheat by thesame hopper and slide is concerned.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

A represents the seed-hopper; B'B, two passages in the bottom of thesame at each point of discharge. These passages are arranged alongsideeach other, one a little in advance of the other, as shown.

O (shown in red in Fignl and in black in the other figures) is theseed-slide, arranged between guide-plates a a, of the bottom of thehopper and guard-plates D D. This slide has two passages, E E', cutthrough it at each pointof discharge. Said passages are of greaterlength than the passages in the hopper, and are arranged alongside eachother, one a little in advance of the other. The passages of the slideare located in such relation to the passages of the hopper that while Eis receiving grain from the hopper E is discharging, and vice versa.'Ihus the discharge is elected at the back as well as at the forwardmovement of the slide. The guard-plates D D serve as bottoms to thecells or passages of the slide while said cells are receiving grain fromthe hopper and until the proper time for discharge arrives. Thedischarge of the grain from the passages alternately takes place atopposite ends, o c', of the guard-plates as the slide moves back andforth. The extent of the movement of the slide iscontrolled by meansofthe stop-pins F .1i/,which projectdown from the guide-plates of thebottom of the hopper discharge t-Wo passages arranged alongside throughthe passages of the slide, said pasandone a little in advance of theother, and sages being made long enough to allow for both used at thesame time, in combination their accommodation Without having the disWitha seed-slide which has two passages simicharge ofthe seed interferedwith. The slide larly arranged and of equal depth with each is movedfrom its center G, and the extent of other, substantially as and for thepurposes its movement can be regulated in the ordinary l set forth.

manner and thus the quantity of seed sown to an are controlled. I JACOBW' KIRK' What I claim as inyinventiom and desire t0 Witnesses:

secure by Letters Patent, is THOS. D. CLAYTON,

A seed-hopper which has at each point ofl JOB HAINEs.

